Closure for a container



June 9, 1964 F. s. PATTON ETAL 3,136,453

CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER Filed Sept. 18, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 4: ga

IN V EN TORS (M f f June 1964 F. s. PATTON ETAL 3,136,453

CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 18, 1961 L JL United States Patent 3,136,453 CLQSURE FUR A CONTAINER Franklin S. Patton, Erie, and Roderick V. King, Girard,

Pa, assignors to Sterling Seal Co., Erie, Pin, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 138,809 6 Claims. (Cl. 222-182) This invention relates to covers and, more particularly, to covers for aerosol type devices.

This application is a continuation in part of patent application, Serial No. 718,008, filed February 27, 1958, which issued as Patent No. 3,022,922 on February 27, 1962.

In the said application, a cover is provided wherein the inner edges of the cover are rolled back sharply and an overhanging portion is provided on the breast of the can to engage a cover having an inwardly rolled head.

In the present application, a groove is provided in the breast with a ledge at the upper end thereof. The cover has spaced, resilient, inwardly extending members thereon to engage the ledge. In one embodiment of the invention, the can has a flat part outward of the ledge. In another embodiment, spaced hook like members are pro vided on the rim of the cap to underlie this ledge and in yet another embodiment, spaced dents are formed on the inwardly rolled rim of the cap to underlie the said ledge.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an improved cap for a container.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cap having spaced, inwardly extending lugs on the inner periphery thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cap for a container which is simple in construction, econornical to manufacture, and simple and easy to use.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit of sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a cap according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a cap on a can;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the can shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4; and

FIGS. 6 and 7, 8 and 9, 10 and 11, and 12 and 13 are cross sectional views and bottom views, respectively of other embodiments of the invention.

Now with more particular reference to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 discloses a cup shaped open ended cap 71. The cap 71 has spaced, inwardly extending, resilient arm members 82 which extend inwardly and toward the top of the cap and terminate at their upper ends in an upwardly extending portion 83 which extends upwardly and outwardly. The arm members 82 are tapered as shown so that they are generally triangular in shape and have their greatest strength at their point of attachment to the inwardly extending rim on the cap.

A can 70 has an upwardly extending breast 72 which terminates in its upper part at 74 which is rolled outwardly to receive a closure 75 which is rolled over the upper opening of the closure at 76 to receive a valve. The outer rim of the breast 72 is rolled downwardly at 73 over the upper edge of the can 70 and a groove 78 is formed in the breast inwardly of the rolled portion 73.

A ledge 80 is thus formed at the upper rim of the groove '78 which rests against the upwardly extending portions 83 of the arm members on the cover when it is in position. The lower side of the groove is formed by an upwardly extending shoulder 77 so that the portions 83 will rest against the ledge 80 and the rim of the cap 71 will rest against the shoulder 77. The straight parts of the arm members 82 lie in coextensive relation with the bottom of the groove.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a cap 181 is shown having spaced, inwardly turned ends 183 which terminate in upwardly extending parts 184. This cap can be used with a can such as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 with the lugs or ends 183 lying against the ledge 80.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a cap 91 has an inwardly rolled lower edge 93 which has inwardly extending portions formed by dents 94 formed therein which cause the material to extend inwardly. These dents are adapted to engage the shoulder ledge 80 of the can such as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to hold the cap rigidly thereon.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a cap 250 has an inwardly rolled lower open end 252 which has grooves 253 cut therein so that the rolled end 252 may underlie a shoulder such as the shoulder 80 in FIG. 3 and the grooves 253 make the cap more resilient.

A cap is shown in the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The cap has a peripheral groove 153 formed in the edge thereof adjacent the open end. This external groove has grooves 154 formed therein which extend inwardly and are adapted to engage a ledge such as the ledge 80 formed above the groove 78 in FIGS. 2 and 3 with a lower outwardly extending end engaging the shoulder 77.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a cap 50 having a side wall 51 has a peripheral groove 55 formed in the outside surface thereof adjacent the open end and spaced slots 52 cut therein intersecting the groove so that when the ridge formed on the inside of the cap at 53 between the slots 52 engages a shoulder such as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the legs formed by the material between the slots 52 will be sprung outwardly and the cap will grip the can while ends 57 will engage the shoulder which defines the outside of the groove.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In combination, an aerosol type can and a cover therefor, said aerosol can having generally cylindrical side portions and a bottom, the upper edges of said generally cylindrical side portions terminating in a seam, a top for said aerosol can, said top having a breast portion generally defining the frustum of a cone attached to said upper edges of said side portions of said can by said seam, said breast portion having an opening in the center thereof closed by a closure, said closure having a valve member disposed therein, said breast portion extending downwardly and outwardly and then upwardly and outwardly and terminating in said seam between said breast portion and said side portions with a groove disposed in said breast portion between said upper edges of said cylindrical side portions and the frusto-conical portion of said breast portion, said seam forming one wall of said groove, said groove being concentric with said cylindrical side portions of said can, the bottom of said groove being below the top of said seam, said breast portion extending upwardly and inwardly from the bottom of said groove to form an inside wall of said groove, then upwardly to a position above said seam, then upwardly and inwardly, said breast portion having portions thereof bent outwardly and slightly overhanging said groove, said upwardly extending portion being above the plane of the upper edge of said seam, and a cup shaped cover having a cylindrical wall terminating at its open end in inwardly extending, spaced resilient members, said spaced resilient members having inwardly turned edges, said portions when in operative position resting on said inside wall of said groove and held removably therein by said upwardly extending portion on said breast portion, said cover having snap action with respect to said upwardly extending portion of said breast portion.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said resilient members comprise generally triangular shaped portions integrally attached to'said cover and extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom and terminating in an outwardly turned portion.

3. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said in- 5. The combination recited in claim 4 wherein inwardly extending dents are formed in said inwardly extending members.

6. In combination, an aerosol type can and a cover therefor, said aerosol can having generally cylindrical side portions and a bottom, the upper edges of said generally cylindrical side portions terminating in a seam, a top for said aerosol can, said top having a breast portion generally defining the frustum of a cone attached to said upper edges of said side portions of said can to form said seam, said breast portion having an opening in the center thereof closed by a closure, said closure having a valve member disposed therein, said breast portion extending downwardly and outwardly and then downwardly, then downwardly and outwardly, then outwardly and terminating in said seam between said breast portion and said side portions to provide overhanging portions, and a cup shaped cover 7 having a cylindrical wall terminating at its open end in wardly turned edges comprise spaced members integral 7 with said cover.

4. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said inwardly extending members are formed by an external circumferential groove rolled in said cover adjacent the open end thereof, urging the material thereof inwardly.

an inwardly curled head, said bead having spaced, radially inwardly extending portions formed by dents on said bead, said head in its operative position snugly received in said groove and held removably therein by said overhanging portions on said breast portion engaging said dents.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,121,843 Vaughn June 28, 1938 2,884,160 Abplanalp Apr. 28, 1959 2,906,430 Henchert Sept. 29, 1959 2,973,114 Patton Feb. 28, 1961 3,032,234 Taylor Q. May 1, 1962 

6. IN COMBINATION, AN AEROSOL TYPE CAN AND A COVER THEREFOR, SAID AEROSOL CAN HAVING GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL SIDE PORTIONS AND A BOTTOM, THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL SIDE PORTIONS TERMINATING IN A SEAM, A TOP FOR SAID AEROSOL CAN, SAID TOP HAVING A BREAST PORTION GENERALLY DEFINING THE FRUSTUM OF A CONE ATTACHED TO SAID UPPER EDGES OF SAID SIDE PORTIONS OF SAID CAN TO FORM SAID SEAM, SAID BREAST PORTION HAVING AN OPENING IN THE CENTER THEREOF CLOSED BY A CLOSURE, SAID CLOSURE HAVING A VALVE MEMBER DISPOSED THEREIN, SAID BREAST PORTION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY AND THEN DOWNWARDLY, THEN DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY, THEN OUTWARDLY AND TERMINATING IN SAID SEAM BETWEEN SAID BREAST PORTION AND SAID SIDE PORTIONS TO PROVIDE OVERHANGING PORTIONS, AND A CUP SHAPED COVER HAVING A CYLINDRICAL WALL TERMINATING AT ITS OPEN END IN AN INWARDLY CURLED BEAD, SAID BEAD HAVING SPACED, RADIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING PORTIONS FORMED BY DENTS ON SAID BEAD, SAID BEAD IN ITS OPERATIVE POSITION SNUGLY RECEIVED IN SAID GROOVE AND HELD REMOVABLY THEREIN BY SAID OVERHANGING PORTIONS ON SAID BREAST PORTION ENGAGING SAID DENTS. 